In order to make sure that your WebQuest stays aligned with your unit, you will need to copy and paste 3 things from your Stages 1 and 2 from Dr. Grace's wiki onto this page. (This will also help Dr. Theresa give you better feedback on your Intro, Task, and Conclusion.) Then you will write your first drafts of your Introduction and Conclusion.
G.R.A.S.P.S
( Feel free to copy and paste what you have on your wiki page for Dr. Grace for the GRASPS portion of your unit (Stage 2). Note that you don't need the Standards part, though you can include it if you want.)
Goal
Your task is to create an accurate, informative documentary on the genetically identical New Zealand heffalumps and their one genetically different member. Be sure to cover how the one different member and its mutation will affect the heffalumps in the future.
Role
You are members of a high-end film-making team with Discovery Communications.
Audience
The target audience is Cora Marrett and her board of advisers, and potentially the world.
Situation
The challenge involves discussing the present and future of the NZ heffalumps in order to win the National Science Foundation film crew job.
Product & Performance
You will create a praise-worthy documentary movie on the present and future of the heffalumps in order to impress Cora Marrett and the NSF, and receive the open spots on the NSF film team.
Understanding(s)
U1: Students will understand that genetic variation can occur naturally and affect the population. U2: Students will understand that genetic mutations can occur during DNA replication. U3: Students will understand that the environment has a large impact on DNA, its expression, and population genetics.
Introduction
Take a moment and imagine all the differences and similarities that you share with your family, friends, and all the other people around you. Unless you're one twin in a set, you can imagine a laundry list of differences between you and the person beside you right now. Consider what makes you who you are, and what attributes make you unique in the eyes of others.
Now, set those thoughts aside. This time, imagine a world where everyone were identical. Instead of sitting in a room full of diverse thoughts, opinions, and bodies, you'd be in a room full of... yourself. 'Great!' you may be thinking, 'I can find someone who finally agrees with me! This is the best!' Sure, you will share everything with your new world full of yous, but what about getting sick? If you get a cold every single winter, imagine an entire school full of people all sick at once. Even worse, what if you get the flu. If everyone shares your genes and your level of immunity, there's no stopping the entire world from dying from a nasty case of whooping cough or the flu.
Seems crazy, doesn't it? You may be thinking, 'Now, that will never happen. Humans are too diverse; we'll be fine!" Now consider this: the modern day cheetah population is on the brink of extinction because they are too much alike. Because all cheetah individuals share over 90% of their DNA with each other, there's little to no resistance against one big, nasty case of cheetah flu. With such staggering odds, what kind of miracle could we hope for to potentially save them?
Task
You are members of a high-end film-making crew with Discovery Communications. Cora Marrett, the director of the National Science Foundation, has come to you offering you spaces on the NSF's filming crew. In order to earn it, however, she has asked you and your crew to film a movie about the endangered New Zealand heffalumps in order to determine your potential. Within the heffalump species, all the members are genetically identical with the exception of one individual. You will create a praiseworthy documentary on the present and future of the heffalumps in order to impress Cora Marrett and the NSF board advisers. The documentary must be accurate in its information, as well as informative on the heffalumps and the effect of the sole genetically alone member.
Conclusion
(Tie everything the participants have done back to the Goal. Why did they go through all of this? Tie the scenario to the real world. Remind them of the "Big Idea" that they were supposed to gain from this, just in case they didn't make the connection on their own. Don't get preachy. If you ask a question here, it has to be rhetorical. No work or assignments should be included. Short is good.)
Welcome to the end, dead friends! Your documentary has won the the attention of Cora Marrett and the NSF, earning your team their coveted spot. The world over will hear of your work! The topics you've covered and the genetic pathways you've explored are all potential links to how humanity and all modern day organisms have come to be what they are today. The one (or series of) sea creature(s) that had those miraculous genetic changes to develop them further, to push them to become what we have today. Not all these genetic developments are beneficial, as some of you may have witnessed. If humans are 99.9% similar genetically, could we suffer this same fate?
G.R.A.S.P.S
( Feel free to copy and paste what you have on your wiki page for Dr. Grace for the GRASPS portion of your unit (Stage 2). Note that you don't need the Standards part, though you can include it if you want.)Understanding(s)
U1: Students will understand that genetic variation can occur naturally and affect the population.U2: Students will understand that genetic mutations can occur during DNA replication.
U3: Students will understand that the environment has a large impact on DNA, its expression, and population genetics.
Introduction
Take a moment and imagine all the differences and similarities that you share with your family, friends, and all the other people around you. Unless you're one twin in a set, you can imagine a laundry list of differences between you and the person beside you right now. Consider what makes you who you are, and what attributes make you unique in the eyes of others.Now, set those thoughts aside. This time, imagine a world where everyone were identical. Instead of sitting in a room full of diverse thoughts, opinions, and bodies, you'd be in a room full of... yourself. 'Great!' you may be thinking, 'I can find someone who finally agrees with me! This is the best!' Sure, you will share everything with your new world full of yous, but what about getting sick? If you get a cold every single winter, imagine an entire school full of people all sick at once. Even worse, what if you get the flu. If everyone shares your genes and your level of immunity, there's no stopping the entire world from dying from a nasty case of whooping cough or the flu.
Seems crazy, doesn't it? You may be thinking, 'Now, that will never happen. Humans are too diverse; we'll be fine!" Now consider this: the modern day cheetah population is on the brink of extinction because they are too much alike. Because all cheetah individuals share over 90% of their DNA with each other, there's little to no resistance against one big, nasty case of cheetah flu. With such staggering odds, what kind of miracle could we hope for to potentially save them?
Task
You are members of a high-end film-making crew with Discovery Communications. Cora Marrett, the director of the National Science Foundation, has come to you offering you spaces on the NSF's filming crew. In order to earn it, however, she has asked you and your crew to film a movie about the endangered New Zealand heffalumps in order to determine your potential. Within the heffalump species, all the members are genetically identical with the exception of one individual. You will create a praiseworthy documentary on the present and future of the heffalumps in order to impress Cora Marrett and the NSF board advisers. The documentary must be accurate in its information, as well as informative on the heffalumps and the effect of the sole genetically alone member.Conclusion
(Tie everything the participants have done back to the Goal. Why did they go through all of this? Tie the scenario to the real world. Remind them of the "Big Idea" that they were supposed to gain from this, just in case they didn't make the connection on their own. Don't get preachy. If you ask a question here, it has to be rhetorical. No work or assignments should be included. Short is good.)Welcome to the end, dead friends! Your documentary has won the the attention of Cora Marrett and the NSF, earning your team their coveted spot. The world over will hear of your work! The topics you've covered and the genetic pathways you've explored are all potential links to how humanity and all modern day organisms have come to be what they are today. The one (or series of) sea creature(s) that had those miraculous genetic changes to develop them further, to push them to become what we have today. Not all these genetic developments are beneficial, as some of you may have witnessed. If humans are 99.9% similar genetically, could we suffer this same fate?